Bush praises Italy offer to lead Lebanon force-Prodi

ROME, Aug 24 (Reuters) U S President George W Bush has told Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi of his ''positive'' view of Italy's offer to lead a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, Prodi said in a statement today.

In a phone call with Prodi, Bush ''talked of his contacts with the U N secretary general in which the availability and Italian leadership were commented on very positively,'' the statement said.

REUTERS LL HT1912